Vacuum-cleaner.



E. F. WEMHOENER.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.13. 191s Patented Apr. 16, 191&.

am I. wnrmonnna, or ST. LOUIS, mssouar.

vacuum-cnnnnna.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 1 6, 1918.

Application filed October 13, 1916. SeriaINo. 125,877. i

To all whom it-may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL F. WnMHonNnR,

I a citizen of the United States of America,

and a resident of. the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Cleaners, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being-had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a vacuum cleaner suitable for use in removing dirt or other small particles of substance from locations not readily accessible, the invention being more particularly intended for use in cleanin the tracker bars of player pianos.

he cleaner comprises a cylinder containing a piston and piston rod operable there- 4 in, the piston having a spring-seated valve permitting passage of air through the piston in one direction only, and the cylinder having a spring-seated valve in one end of the cylinder preventing the exit of air through that end of the cylinder, a screen seating within that end of the cylinder, a suction chamber provided with a cushioned intake nipple, and a band clamp securing the suction chamber to the cylinder and the screen between them.

Figure I is a side elevation of my yacuum cleaner.

Fig. II is a longitudinal am'al section through the cleaner shown as it appears when applied to a tracker bar.

Fig. HI is an enlarged view of the forward portion of the cleaner shown partly in elevation and partly in section.

Figs. IV, V and VI are cross sections taken respectively on lines IV-IV, VV, and VI-VI, Fig. II.

In the accompanying drawings, A designates the cylinder of my vacuum cleaner which comprises a tube 1, a. cap 2 at the rear end of the cylinder, and a head 4 at the front. end of the cylinders The cap 2 is provided with one or more air vents 3.

The head 4 is intermediately provided with an apertured interior diaphragm 5, through which air may pass to enter the cylinder, the passage of air through said diaphragm being controlled by a suction valve 6 which seats against the rear side of the diaphragm, as seen in Fig. III. The valve 6is normally held seated against the diaphragm 5 by a spring 7 surrounding a pin 8 mounted m the diaphragm, and about her.

which the valve 6 is looselyfitted. The

head 4 is also provided on-its rear side with a screw-threadedcounterbore 4 adapted to receive a washer and the adjacent end of the tube 1, and at the opposite side with a counterbore 4" adapted to receive washers and a screen 21, this side of the head 4 being also provided with an external screw thread adapted to receive a clamping band 16 provided with an inturned flange-17 engaging an annular rib 18 on a suction chamber 15, having a rim adjacent the screen when assembled. When the band 16 is screwed home the screen is tightly secured between the head 4 and the rim of the suction cham- 9 designates a piston rod loosely arranged in the cap 2 of the cylinder A and adapted to be reciprocated therein. 10 is a piston operable to and fro in the cylinder A, the piston being provided with one or more apertures 11. 12 is a valve adapted to be seated against the rear side of the piston 10 and normally held thereagainst by a spring to exhaust foreign matter from the opemng into the suction chamber.

The screen 21 is preferably a circular sheet of cloth mounted in a ring structure 22 clamped between the collection receptacle and the head 4 as described.

In the practical use of my vacuum cleaner, the tip 19 is presented to the object to be cleaned, and the piston 10 reciprocated. During the rearward stroke, the spring 13 holds the piston valve12 closed, thus producing a suction between the piston and the suction valve 6, causing the suction valve to be unseated and air and foreign matter to be drawn through the suction chamber, and

air through the screen 21, the diaphragm,

back draft into the suction prevents a disturbance of memes chamber and thus the accumulated dirt or other substance which has been collected therein. In. Fig; II I have shown my vacuum I cleaner as it appears as applied to a tracker bar T, wherebythe utility of my device for the cleanln of an article of this description will be rea ily understood.

I claim:

In a vacuum cleaner, a pump mechanism consisting of a cylinder provlded wlth a rear caphaving an air havlng a counterbore ed to receive the front vent, and a front head in its rear side ada tend of the cylin er,

a counterbore in its front side adapted to recelve a screen, an exterior screw-threaded portion adjacent the front side adapted to receive a securing band and, intermediately, an interior perforated diaphragm controlled by a spring-seated controllingvalve located on the rear side of the diaphragm; a piston-head located in the rear of the perforated diaphragm and having an opening controlled by a spring-seated valve on the rear side of the piston-head, and a piston-rod extending rearwardly om the piston-head, out through the apertured rear cap and terminating in a handle portion.

EMIL F. WEMHOENER. 

